Two-time CART champion and 2003 Indianapolis 500 winner Gil de Ferran will join Honda Performance Development as a technical consultant and advisor.

“I have always had the utmost respect and admiration for Honda and its role in motorsports,” said de Ferran in a statement released by the manufacturer. “Honda has been a common thread in my racing career since we first worked to develop their Indy car engines in 1996, which led to winning races and championships, followed by my time in Formula One and the amazing Acura ARX-02a. Throughout our long and storied history, whatever role I played, we have developed a great, successful, enjoyable and effective working relationship. I look forward to contributing to Honda’s efforts once again.”

For many years, De Ferran — known to his many fans as “The Professor” — has worked with the Honda/HPD camp. He won seven times in CART with Honda power, and also claimed an American Le Mans Series title in 2009 with the aforementioned Acura ARX-02a. In addition, the Brazilian served as the sporting director for Honda’s Formula One outfit from 2005 to 2007 and was a member of INDYCAR’s ICONIC committee, which was charged with creating the series’ new car concept that debuted last season.

“We’re thrilled to have Gil rejoin the HPD family as a technical consultant and advisor,” HPD president Art St. Cyr said. “It feels like a homecoming for us, as Gil has played such an important role for the Honda Racing effort in both open-wheel and sports-car racing for such a long time. His skills and expertise are almost impossible to duplicate, and we look forward to his continuing contributions to HPD’s racing programs.”